England's captain Andrew Flintoff (centre) celebrates with teammates after dismissing Australia's Michael Hussey during the second one-day international tri-series cricket final at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday. England won the rain-affected second final by 34 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis scoring system. - Reuters

SYDNEY, Australia (AP)

England's two-match sweep of Australia in the tri-series limited-overs cricket final has sounded the alarm for the defending champion Australia ahead of next month's World Cup in the Caribbean.

'Last laugh to England', The Australian national newspaper said today after England won the rain-affected second match by 34 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis scoring system.

Australia had 152 for eight off 27 overs in reply to England's 246 for eight from 50 overs before rain ended play at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Veteran cricket writer Malcolm Conn said in The Australian that Australia's World Cup campaign was "unravelling in embarrassing fashion".

"It was a humiliating end to a summer of almost total domination by Australia, with the No.1-ranked one-day team in the world flogged when it mattered by a side ranked eighth," wrote Conn.

"The four selectors, who are due to hook up to finalise a 15-man World Cup touring party that will be announced tomorrow (Tuesday), suddenly have much to think about."

The Sydney Morning Herald's Alex Brown said: "Australia, we have a problem."

"The team that appeared impregnable a fortnight ago is now a side under siege, plummeting to its third consecutive defeat to England and its first limited-overs finals defeat on home soil in 14 years," said Brown.

Brown said the losses have coincided with a biceps injury to Andrew Symonds that required surgery, placing him in doubt for the World Cup.

"Without his (Symonds') power and versatility, the Australian line-up suddenly appears unbalanced, unsettled and unsure of itself," said Brown.

Iain Payten, writing in Sydney's Daily Telegraph, said Australia's World Cup plans were in disarray.

"The plucky Poms turned around a summer of pain and suffering," wrote Payten.

"Australia's momentum has run off the rails and is lying in a ditch with key players injured, out of form, or mentally fatigued."